Well, Now I Feel Loved

I checked my newest comments tonight to find that a friend has left me something on her blog. So, I immediately clicked on the link to find Michelle very kindly left me a blog award! :-) I'm so touched and thrilled - this is my first blog award of any kind. The fact that it's from another blogger (one I actually look up to, nonetheless) makes it that much more special! There's nothing better than being recognized by your peers.

Michelle kindly gave me the Humane Award, which is for kind bloggers. Thank you, Michelle!

It's my turn to pass it on, and I'm choosing some of my favorite bloggers who I consider true friends. Whether it's from support here, on Facebook, in real-life situations, or as a general rule, these bloggers are people I couldn't imagine my life without!

• Kelly ~ From helping me with the design for this blog and the design for my site to being a true friend, I just couldn't do it without her! Kelly defines a kindhearted person! Love you, Kelly!
• Sara ~ I've had the pleasure of meeting her in real life, too - and I suspect I'll see her more, now that her sister lives down the street! She's one of the kindest people I know.
• Heidi ~ I know, we hardly know each other. But, I love reading your blog. Not only that, but you've always been quick to help me when I have asked you questions regarding how to do something here on Blogger! Thank you!
• Lisa ~ You've always been so sweet to me. Back in the M-Z days, and now when you comment on my posts. Thank you!
• Chris ~ You're last, but definitely not least. I can't remember if your blog is open to the public or not, but I couldn't leave you off the list! You're one of my BFF, and always will be!
  

If you were tagged, download the image, post it in your blog, and share the love: nominate your Humane blogging buddies! Please don't forget to link back to the person who gave you the award!

I'm famous!

Well, sorta! Click on the image below to check it out:



Yeah, I know, it's not a huge thing. Yeah, I know, I submitted my own blog. Yeah, I know, it doesn't really mean much. But, still, I think this is one of the first non-occupational interviews I've ever had! :-) So, I'm gonna bask for a bit. Enjoy and have fun with it.

I just have one question: Does this count as my 15 minutes?

What's with the Guilt?

Mommy Guilt. If you're a mom, you know what I'm talking about. I just wanna know: What's up with that? I mean, why do we feel guilty for everything and nothing all at once? Why is it that being a mom seems to make one a guilt magnet?

Example: I have three kids and I worry about equal treatment - as much as is possible, as perfectly equal is not. Individuals can't be treated exactly the same simply because they aren't the same. That said, I still find myself feeling guilty over just about anything. The latest is pictures, of all things! When Abby was born, I was diligent about having pictures taken at regular intervals. I started at 6 weeks (figuring her hospital pics were good enough for newborn), then 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, and annually after that. When school started, we just started relying on those for her annual individual shots. For Grant, I was pretty good about sticking to that schedule. There might have been some slight variation - like 19 months instead of 18 months - but I still did a pretty good job. Poor sweet Natalie, however, is getting the short end of the annual-pictures stick! Long story short: I missed her 18-month pictures! My husband was gone to Fargo for 30 days when she hit that milestone, and I just never got around to it. And now, she's 21 months - three months from her 24-month pictures. I feel bad - and I am sure this will be a source of regret at times in the future. We do take pictures of her at home, but not nearly as much as we did Abby - or Grant. Poor kid is getting the classic third-born treatment!

Why do I feel so friggin' guilty about this? I mean, seriously! It's not like it's a life-or-death thing! And it's not like she hasn't gotten treatment the others missed out on! For one, we take lots of videos of her - something we didn't do with Abby very much at all, simply for lack of the requisite equipment. Same for Grant. Plus, I worked full time, so I missed a lot of what I've taken video of with Natalie. And then Grant got more ultrasounds (prior to birth) than the girls. Poor Abby didn't get any - our insurance wouldn't pay for it! Natalie got the standard mid-point ultrasound. Grant, however, got two in-depth sonograms. Poor Abby, when we showed her Natalie's pictures, asked about hers from when she was still "in Mommy's tummy." The disappointment on her face brought on major Mommy Guilt! I found myself wishing we'd gotten one - but that would've cost us $300 or more! We didn't really have that to spare.

All of this to illustrate the things over which I tend to struggle with feeling guilty over. There are many more that come and go, depending on what we're dealing with and how I'm feeling, but those are the major ones right now. It's annoying, to say the least. There are times I get down on myself because of this stuff, but then I remind myself that these aren't major issues. Overall, we do a good job (I think) with our kids. We love them; we take good care of them; and we do our very best to make sure we do right by them. Still, there's always something that brings on the guilt. Why is that?

How about you? Do you suffer from Mommy Guilt? If so, what brings it on for you? If not, how do you manage to keep it away?

And now we're back to love ...

Whatever I did seems to have worked! :-) The feed is working again. So, frustration - good-bye! :-) MUCH better! Thanks for "listening" to me complain about this! LOL

Oh, and in case you're wondering, DH got home later than expected - but before Abby went to bed. And he did finally call about an hour before he got home. It's better than nothing, right?

Good night, all, and God bless!

Technology and I have a love-hate relationship

I'm trying to curb my frustration right now, as it's about to boil over! And, yes, as the title hints, it's all related to technology. No, none of it is a big deal - at least not in the big picture. It's just frustrating the hell outta me, to say the least!

My current issue is this blog. I love it, but or some reason my feed isn't working right. I don't know enough about how feeds work to really troubleshoot it, but I've tried anyway. As some of you have seen, I posted a test post, tried messing with things, then deleted the test post. Then I discovered that my test post DID go through - at least through Twitterfeed - not sure about Networked Blogs on Facebook. The latter is what caused me to look into this in the first place. It hasn't pulled any posts by me in a long time. And I'm not sure why. I can't figure it out. I was messing with FeedBurner, which is what I use to share my blog - it allows people to subscribe via e-mail, which is what I'd wanted. I don't even know if that's working properly. Anyway, with all of my messing around with that, I got to where I couldn't figure out what I was doing - so I thought I'd get some support. Well, FeedBurner recently was acquired by Google ... I went through their annoying help menus, and finally found a "contact us" link. But, that didn't take me to a contact form - NO! That took me to the answer to some other question about FeedBurner. So, either their link's not properly coded, or they're just wanting to give their "customers" the most annoying runaround EVER! That pretty much is what led to me being EXTREMELY frustrated. And also what led to this post - hopefully this will feed as it's supposed to and the frustration will disappear - HOPEFULLY. I know better than to hold my breath, though! ;-)

This, of course is on the heels of other frustrations that are technology-related, the most recent of which anyone who's seen me on Facebook recently knows all about! Long story short: One of the apps, a game, was inaccessible to me for almost a full week. Given that I was stupid enough to pay for extra features on that game, I was quite ticked. If I pay for access to something, I had better damn well be given the royal treatment. It's now up and running - for now. It would've been MUCH less aggravating if this wasn't the second consecutive week this happened! Not to mention that the game would load, and I'd be greeted by a message saying my ACCOUNT was TEMPORARILY unavailable - and to check back in a COUPLE OF HOURS. I don't expect to wait DAYS for access when the error says HOURS.

There are other frustrations I could add to this, but I'm going to stop now. My wonderful (dripping sarcasm here - perhaps PMS is early?) husband is working a VERY long day. Which is fine, but he'd told me he's hoping to be back before the kids go to bed - that's in 30 minutes. No call, no text message, no nothing. That's not a good sign! More than anything, I'm irked about not having received any contact from him as of yet. If he's not going to make it, fine - just call and tell me. It's like being in limbo, which I HATE!

Book Review: The Cleaner

The Cleaner by Brett Battles

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I chose to read this book after having recently read Shadow of Betrayal. While this was a very good book, it wasn't quite as good as Shadow of Betrayal, but I still liked it a LOT. Unlike Shadow of Betrayal, this one didn't have me hooked from the very beginning. I am not sure how far into it I was finally hooked, but I did read it pretty fast. I really liked finding out the full story behind past events mentioned in Shadow of Betrayal. I likely will reread Shadow of Betrayal again now that I know more.

That said, I still would recommend books by Brett Battles to anyone who is a fan of the TV show 24. While this one didn't feel as much like reading an episode of that show, it still was action-packed, fast-moving, and suspenseful. All in all, a very good - and memorable - book.

View all my reviews >>

Product Review: Front Loader Laundry Powder

Took me long enough to get to this review, huh? I've been very busy, and I wanted to give this item good use before writing about it. That said, this is another product from EcostoreUSA. The description on the Web site says:

Ecostore USA’s high performance Laundry Powder consists of simple mineral salts and plant-based ingredients, giving it the ability to attack even the most heavily soiled fabrics. Its fresh, natural lemon fragrance will not harm or irritate the skin. This is a safe and healthy alternative for you and our planet. (35.3 ounces)

I'll admit I was a bit skeptical. I haven't had a lot of good experience when trying new laundry products. But, I knew this was one that if I liked it would be worth it. And guess what! I liked it! (I use past tense, because I managed to use it all up! LOL) It did a great job cleaning the clothes, and I actually loved how it smelled. I tried several loads without fabric softener mostly to see how it smelled. And, guess what? I LOVED it - it smelled fresh and clean. And, the best part, I didn't feel the need to use fabric softener like I usually do. My clothes felt soft and smelled great. It worked well for the kids' clothes, too.

Just like EcostoreUSA's other products, this one is safer for our environment. This is plant- and mineral-based, and labeled as a "highly biodegradable product" on the package. And, in my opinion, the fact that I feel like I don't have to use fabric softener with this product makes it even BETTER, environmentally speaking! I am definitely planning to purchase more of this!

In summary: EcostoreUSA's Front Loader Laundry Powder is a quality product that's safe for the environment. My clothes are cleaned very well, and smell great - even without fabric softener, which I don't feel I MUST use when using this product. So, not only will I help our environment by using this, I'll also help my budget by buying less - if any - fabric softener! It's a win-win-win situation. (Three wins: environment, budget, clean and fresh clothes!) If you have a Meijer store near you, grab a box while you're there. If not, you can always get it through the company's Web site. And for all you Web shoppers, they are offering FREE shipping on ALL orders over $25. Add a fourth "win" to the list! ;-)

Book Review: Shadow of Betrayal

Shadow of Betrayal by Brett Battles

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another book I received through the FirstReads program here on Goodreads. I am very glad I did. I never would've read it or given Brett Battles any thought.

Shadow of Betrayal had me hooked from the very beginning. It starts with action and never lets up. I kept feeling like I'd been reading an episode of Fox's show 24. I'm a HUGE fan of the show, so there's no surprise I loved this book! I found myself wanting to read more and more - and I wanted to know how the different story lines were going to work together. I was not disappointed!

There were some things I found myself wishing had been explained, but then I found out that this is the THIRD book in a series. So, now I think I'll go back and read the previous two - hopefully the answers are in them! Despite my wanting to know more about a few things, this novel definitely stands fine on its own.

Brett Battles has a new fan. I will be getting my hands on the other books in this series as soon as I can - and I'm looking forward to the fourth book, which I know is in the works. (There's a blurb inside about the upcoming book.)

View all my reviews.

And just like that

It seems like just yesterday I was writing my post about Abby's fifth birthday. But, it wasn't - it was exactly one year ago today! How the heck is that even possible? My baby is SIX! SIX years old! Where have the years gone? I remember snuggling that precious newborn baby in my arms six years ago. How is it that I now have this not-so-little 6-year-old girl? Oddly, this isn't as emotional as last year was. Perhaps it's because kindergarten has passed and now she's heading to first grade. There's something about that kindergarten milestone that just gets a mother really deep.

It is late and I am tired. So, I'm going to wrap this up so I can get some sleep. I just didn't want today to go by without me saying something.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my precious, sweet, wonderful Abigail! I love you!

An Amazing Letter

I saw this posted on Vox by Ashbylane, who said I could repost here. This is very well said, and so right on the money.

A 53-year-old woman by the name of Janet Contreras wrote this letter. It's long, but worth reading!

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AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR NATION'S LEADERSHIP:

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ‑‑ what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when hewill rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Friend Makin' Monday: I Love Summer

It's that time again! Time for FMM! :-) I missed last week, but I'm back today. And what a good time to get back into it. This week's task is to share 10 things you love about summer!

1. Warm weather.
2. Summer rain. I love the rain - especially in the summer. It's so refreshing and I love to get wet in it! LOL
3. Wearing tank tops.
4. Being able to go out of the house without a coat or jacket.
5. Going to the swimming pool.
6. Green - grass, leaves on trees, etc.
7. S'mores.
8. No snow.
9. Going for ice cream.
10. Wearing flip-flops.

So, how about you? What are your favorite things about summer? Please leave me a comment so I can check out your post, too! :-)

I'm Not Procrastinating - I Swear!

There are so many things I need to do - for myself - that just don't get done. It took me months to make a dentist appointment, and eye-doctor appointment, among other things. I'd been wanting to do it for months, but just didn't. And it wasn't for lack of wanting to. It's because sometimes I want to make an appointment and not have to bring the kids - especially for things like a lady's annual exam. The kids should not have to witness that! Yes, I could conceivably make an appointment for the eye doctor and most of my other appointments and take the kids. But, half the time, half of what I wanted to talk about gets forgotten because I have to keep the kids from destroying the room! There are a few appointments to which I refuse to take my children:

• The aforementioned pap. Need I say more?
• The chiropractor. It's kinda hard to keep them under control while someone's manipulating your spine!
• Hair appointments. There's no way to keep them occupied - especially not when I'm getting highlighting done. It's not fair to anyone.
• Massages and other spa-type things. How relaxing can it be with the kids around?

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind. I take my kids to see my PCP, because there's no pap-like stuff going on. I take them to the dentist, as they actually are able to help occupy them. I took them to my allergist appointment, where there (thankfully) were age-appropriate toys. There are very few things I do - or places I go - that don't occur without the children. Ask any stay-at-home mom, and you'll likely hear something similar.

So, where is this coming from? Well, the biggest problem I have is scheduling. My husband's schedule is one that is not friendly to me. Any appointments I have to make more than a couple of weeks in advance almost always need to be rescheduled because of some conflict with his work. It's because of this .. uncertainty ... that I take months to actually make most appointments. When things finally get to where I can't put it off anymore, I schedule. Prime examples:

• I finally saw the eye doctor when I ran out of contact lenses.
• Tooth pain has led to my scheduling a dentist appointment.
• Needing a prescription refill led to my scheduling my annual.

That last - the dreaded annual - has been problematic. Because I waited too long to schedule, I had to wait two extra months for an appointment - which meant it was scheduled for April. But, my husband was gone for the month of April - because of work - so I had to reschedule. That meant another two months to wait. My appointment is within the next week or so, and suddenly my husband has a problem. How dare I schedule it for a Monday, when he has work stuff. Firstly, I told him back in April when it was scheduled for. Why didn't he say something then? I mean, really? I would've been annoyed, but much less so than I am now. Heck, now, I'm pissed. I will not bring these kids to my pap. No way in hell. He suggested I ask the neighbor to look after our kids - um, no. I don't want to do that to her. Her kid is going to summer school, so it's not like they'd have her to play with. I don't have much of a support system here, so I really have no one I can ask for help. This means I likely will have to wait another TWO months for my annual. At this point, I just want to get it over and done with!

Book Review: Body of Knowledge

Body of Knowledge by Bryce Anderson

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I purchased it directly from the author after not winning a Firstreads copy. The description on the back of the book made me curious. So, I decided to give it a try. It held my interest and was very thought-provoking. Toward the end, I found myself wanting to read faster so I could find out how it all ends. I do wonder why the author wrote it in the first-person using his own name as the main character. Is he trying to say he had met someone like JP once? I have no way of knowing, of course, but I definitely think it adds some intrigue.

So, why not six stars? Well, for one, while I really enjoyed it, it didn't exactly knock my socks off either. Plus, there were a LOT of editing errors that I just can't get past. The main - and most frustrating to me (a former editor) - was confusion of its/its'/it's. There were also some spots where I felt some rearranging of a few paragraphs would've made it flow better.

Overall, it was an enjoyable book that I am glad to have read. Anyone who wishes to read it can sign up here to win a FREE copy on goodreads!

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Something Blue

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a good follow-up to Something Borrowed, but not quite as good. I would like to do 3.5 stars, but Goodreads still doesn't allow for it. So, I rounded down. Usually I round up, but I had given Something Borrowed 4 stars, and didn't feel it was right to give this book the same rating, as I felt it was not at the same level.

For one thing, it was way too predictable. For one, I knew with whom she was going to end up before even reading the book. I also knew she wasn't right in her "instinctive" feelings about her baby's gender. And there were other things I saw coming, too. I didn't get surprised by this book the way I'd gotten surprised by Something Borrowed.

Another thing is I wasn't a fan of Darcy. I hated her in Something Borrowed and wasn't too keen on "hearing" her side of the story. I knew it'd be skewed and totally infuriating. I found myself wanting to slap her. (I'm not fond of having main characters that are not likable.) Although, by the end of the story I was rooting for her.

I will say the birth scene was very touching. I was near tears as I read that part of the birth. Perhaps it reminded me of my own birth stories, or perhaps it's just a mother understanding what another mother feels/thinks. Whatever it is, I had happy tears welling up as I share that experience with Darcy.

Overall, I did like the book, but I'd actually have preferred a sequel that was about Rachel. I loved Rachel, and I'd love to see more from her.

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received this book through the firstreads program, and am so glad I did. It was an enjoyable read with a plot that kept me reading. After really getting into it, I found myself not wanting to stop because I wanted to see how it all turned out.

Emily Giffin's characters were people I found myself having great interest in - even minor characters, like Hillary. There were definitely individuals I preferred to others. I found myself siding with Rachel, despite my disgust at her behavior, and hating Darcy. Perhaps it's because I found myself identifying with Rachel.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It's a perfect light, summer read!

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Avempartha

Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan

rating: 5 of 5 stars
After reading The Crown Conspiracy, I was excitedly waiting for the release of Avempartha. I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. It was very good, and I found myself stealing away from a weekend visiting family to read more! I enjoyed the further development of some of the characters from the first book, as well as meeting many new characters.

I have to say, about Royce, I knew it! I suspected from about halfway through The Crown Conspiracy, and was glad to find out I was correct! If you wanna know what I'm talking about, read both books! ;-)

As for Hadrian, I have some theories about him after having read Avempartha. I am hoping I'll get confirmation one way or the other in the next book, which I believe is Nyphron Rising.

I am keeping this pretty vague to keep from spoiling this - or the previous book - for anyone who wants to read it. I HIGHLY recommend both books, and cannot wait until the next is released! I have to also say that Michael J. Sullivan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I cannot wait to see what else he has in store!

View all my reviews.

Friend Makin' Monday ~ Better Late than Never

I almost forgot this week! For those who aren't familiar, this is a fun thing created by Kasey over at All That Is Good. For the basic Friend Makin' Monday rules, read here.

This week's object: Copy and paste these questions to your blog and give them your own answers.

You wouldn't be caught dead where? In any reptile house anywhere. Ever.

Do you have any hidden talents? Not really.

What are two things you consider yourself to be very good at? I hate to admit this, but video games is the first thing that comes to mind. As for something else, I'm getting hung up on the word "very" here. There are plenty of things I'm just good at. But very good is another story.

What are two things you consider yourself to be very bad at? Cooking, lying.

Have you ever won a trophy? I don't think so, but I have MANY ribbons (with medals) from competitions with my violin and/or orchestra.

What is one thing not many people know about you? I played the violin from 4th through 9th grades. I quit because I developed tendinitis in my left wrist. I went from that to choir. Oh, and even lesser-known is that I played the clarinet for two years - 4th and 5th grades. I quit in the 6th grade because I wanted to be a crossing guard.

What is your earliest memory? I honestly don't remember a lot from my childhood. However, I do remember the layout of the apartment I lived in when I was 2 until I was 4.

What was your favorite musical group in jr. high? I'm thinking New Kids on the Block, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

What was something the worst roommate you ever had did? I was lucky - never really had a bad roommate.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A lawyer, like my great-grandfather.

What was your worst dating experience? Dating a pathological liar in high school.

If you were about to die what would your last meal be? Alaskan king crab legs. Not sure what else. And not entirely sure what dessert would be - too many choices! LOL

Who is the most important person in you life? My husband.

If your house was on fire, what 3 things would you grab on your way out? Assuming the people and pets were safe, I'd grab my laptop (assuming DH grabs his own), our wedding album, and our back-up external hard drive.

Now it's your turn! Don't forget to share your post! :-)

Book Review: The Einstein Syndrome

The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late by Thomas Sowell

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I recently read Late-Talking Children, also by Thomas Sowell, because of concerns I have regarding my own son. I could say much the same for this book as I had for that one. It's pretty much further discussion - with information from more study and more sources - of the same concept, except now it has a name: the Einstein Syndrome. I do not think it's necessary for someone to read both books as this one reiterates a lot of what is in Late-Talking Children. This is why I gave this book four stars, as it didn't offer much new information - just expanded on what was in the previous one. There's nothing wrong with that - I just wasn't blown away with this as I had been with the other. I suspect that if I'd read this one first, I would have given it five stars for the same reason I gave Late-Talking Children five stars. That said, this book did help strengthen my resolve to protect my son. I do NOT think anything is wrong with him. I think that he's just developing verbal skills on his own timetable - after honing many of his more advanced skills.

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Book Review: Late-Talking Children

Late-Talking Children by Thomas Sowell

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a very good book. Very good. My 3.5-year-old son is currently undergoing tests and speech therapy for a perceived speech delay. He is most certainly an intelligent boy: can read short words, knows upper- and lowercase letters, recognizes numbers, has an amazing memory, etc. He also is social - plays with his sisters and cousins and familiar friends - while also reserved and shy. So, when the people at the school district mentioned a possible label of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), or PDD (Pervasive Development Disorder), I wasn't so sure. I had no peace - ZERO. But, I also saw why they would think that. Interestingly, our pediatrician has maintained that he believes NOTHING is wrong with my son - except perhaps a minor speech delay. He has encouraged us to get a second opinion, which we are in about 6 weeks. This book was discovered at a truly perfect time for me. I was in serious confusion and frustration and almost despair.

In reading this book, some of the children described sound almost exactly like my son. It's uncanny, and probably not just a mere coincidence. Especially when looking at the family trends. We have pilots, scientists, musicians, engineers, etc. in our family - as many of the children in this study. Again, I don't think it's just a coincidence. And, really, I've often wondered whether there's truly something wrong or if his being so smart also means he operates a bit differently. Not incorrectly - just not the same as most children. This book reminded me of my initial thoughts, and gave me some hope. In the absence of some serious confirmation, I will not allow anyone to put any autism-related labels on him. I don't think they fit. I am much, much more confident in my son and his abilities than I was before. I'm reminded of what he is, and not what he isn't. Although, ironically, I am shows what he is AND what he isn't at the same time.

We will go through with our planned evaluation, but keep an open mind. Up next for me to read is the follow-up book, The Einstein Syndrome, after which I am going to schedule a meeting with our pediatrician to discuss these with him. Anyway, I am grateful for this book and look forward to reading the next. It has been an invaluable resource!

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Book Review: Gold of Kings

Gold of Kings: A Novel by Davis Bunn

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I didn't expect to hate it, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it like I did.

I really liked the protagonists - Harry, Storm, and Emma. Although, Emma was my least favorite of the three. Something about her just wasn't quite right. And I found the relationship between Harry and Emma a bit hard to swallow. Something about it just didn't seem right to me. But, I'm able to overlook that. The story itself was well-written and very engaging. I especially liked that there were some occurrences I didn't see coming. It's great when a book surprises me and I can't necessarily see what's coming.

Gold of Kings was an engaging, fun, and suspenseful story. I had fun reading it, and will be looking for more books by Davis Bunn.

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